Thrips...

I know this is more of a plant problem.... but I feel so much more at home here lately.

Plus- My solution for them is totally organic

My question goes out to all you indoor growers. This is my third grow. 1st was hydro, my second two now are soil. organic. Every single grow has now resulted in a thrip infestation. They have proven exceptionally easy to control with a little tobacco juice followed by some lady bugs... (gonna try just lady bugs this time around)

I can't figure out what the big deal is with me and thrips.... I don't necessarily keep the cleanest room, and each grow I have done has been in an impossibly dirty basement (dirt floor basement in house from the 20s)


My girlfriend has long dreadlocks and I have long hair as well....

But spidermites have never entered into the equation (knock on wood). Is this an issue of cleanliness, or is this something that I might as well just get used to treating(mind you not that big of a hassle) every grow i do?

Thrips attack heavily during the fall when the outdoor crops start to get harvested. The cleanest growroom in the world can get em just as easily as u can. Just keep in mind that in most cases they have to get help to enter the grow room, whether it is by you or your intake fan, or other plants. They have wings but only good enough to get em up in the air to ride the current.
Here is what u cna do to help rid them...
Insect screens over intake vents, if u get the ones meant for thrips they will cut airflow in half, regular insect screens will keep out 99% of species of thrips and wont kill your air intake as bad.
Change clothes and shoes before going in the grow room. Hang a shirt and pants with some sandles by the entrance that u can just slip on and off. If that sounds rediculous to do, just don't wear bright colored clothes outside and then into the grow room (thrips love bright colors)...
The only problem is that u already have them. Once u got em the only way to make sure they don't come back is to get rid of every last one. All it takes is one female and she can reproduce w/o a male and they start over...